What we do in the shadows
by gericault
Summary: Bella is 26 and has just relocated to Forks to take care of her father whom she lost contact with for several years. She has never met the Cullen. Kidnapped during a mysterious car accident, she wakes up in an unknown place in the company of a strange creature. J/B Vampire/Human
1. Chapter 1

**What we do in the shadows**

**Disclaimer : All recognizable copyrighted and trademarked items and characters mentioned are the property of SM. Everything else belongs to the respective author. **

Chapter 1

**BPOV**

I am just so thirsty. It feels like I crawled for hours in the middle of the desert under a very punishing sun without a bottle of water.

But there is no sun where I am. Everything is pitch black, I can't even see my own hands or make sense of my surroundings.

No light means no way of measuring the passing of time.

_Have I been here for days? For weeks? And where the hell is _here_. _

These are the questions that keep running in my mind. I dropped the _why_ a long time ago. This situation seems so awful that there are only two reasons that could justify it. Either I have done terrible things I have forgotten but that explain this detention, either I have gone mad and am currently stuck in a corner of my rotten brain.

I try desperately to lick for the 100 time the damp wall that supports my tired body. But it's not enough. It helped me in the beginning and it is not unusual that some drops of water happen to flow slowly along the wall from an unidentified ceiling above my head. But I need so much more.

There is no sound in my personal hell appart from my breathing and the occasional hesitant stretching of my legs and arms. But it hasn't always been like that.

My first conscient memory of my incarceration had been the sound of the powerful roar and rampage of a raging animal apparently stuck in the same room. I had heard the creature pull on some chains and somewhere in my terror I had known that if it had managed to get free it would have jumped on me and torn me appart. And it had gone on for what seemed like eternity to me. But at some point, the animal had progressively lost energy and finally, the sounds had stopped. I had guessed it was dead, and I have been pretty sure that, at some point, I would have welcomed the same fate.

I am now still desperate to stay alive and to protect my brain from total dementia. In order to do so, I keep trying to retrace my last conscient actions outside of my prison. I remember driving my truck after my first day of work in Fork's diner. I remember feeling overwhelmed by all of these sudden changes. I just moved to this small town to take care of Charlie, my dad. Charlie is recovering from a heart attack and even if we have kind of got out of touch these last years, I left New York in a blink of an eye when I learned that the doctors recommended extra vigilance in the months to come. I kissed goodbye my history of art phd, at least for now, and took the first plane in order too help him.

It seemed like the right think to do, I had felt guilty lately for my lack of relationship with my dad. Growing up I realized that I had probably left my mother Renée plant false ideas in my head about my Dad. Lies that only made her look like a victim and him like a manipulative narcissist. Years of leaving with my mom had helped me realize that she was the shallow individualist cold one. But I had felt ashamed of my quick rejection of my father, even if I was only nine when they got a divorce and she took me away from this town. My guilt had kept me from contacting him, and when I had finally cut ties with my mother, I had abandoned the concept of family. So when I finally heard from Charlie it seemed like the occasion to finally make amend. Little I had known that I would ironically be offered so much free time alone in the dark to atone.

I was thinking of my dad when I was driving on the damp road back to his home the last time I saw the light of day. I knew that I needed to broach at some point the reason of my long years of silence. But I was struggling with _how_. I didn't want to cause him a stroke with an emotional conversation. Yet the elephant in the room was as uncomfortable to him as to me, and I was determined to help ease my Dad's pain. Thinking of that didn't prevent me from checking attentively the road, I had always been a safe driver. So when my car collided with an undetermined mass I clearly didn't see it coming.

The last distinct memory I have after my car flipped over, is a mass of coppery hair falling on dark crazy eyes.

**I don't have a beta so all mistakes are mine. Plus, english is not my native language, which means my friends that if you want to follow Bella on the path I imagined for her, your eyes are probably going to suffer a little bit along the way…My sincere apologies to the language of Whitman and Keats, and to you potential readers. **


	2. Chapter 2

**What we do in the shadows**

**Disclaimer : All recognizable copyrighted and trademarked items and characters mentioned are the property of SM. Everything else belongs to the respective author. **

Chapter 2

**BPOV**

I must have fallen asleep at some point because I am suddenly awakened by the sound of a door opening somewhere in the room I am locked up. The space fills up with the sound of a screaming girl. She musts be gagged in a way as her shouts seem muffled. At the same time, the jolts of the beast that I thought was dead start again. I am petrified by fear for myself, and for the second poor girl that has been brought to my personal hell. I hear that a body collides with a hard surface and both the screams of the woman and of the creature increase. I try to shut myself out of this nightmare, and press my hands as firmly as I can on my ears. But it's pointless. I think the girl is dying, and while I hear the door close, I can't help this selfish thought : _Am I next? _

Horrible sounds of suctions permeate the room, and as they grow, I can ear that the woman is loosing energy. Finally the screams stop and my traumatized brain deduces that the woman is dead. Hopefully the beast is satiated. But what I am thinking… a poor woman just died a couple of meters from me! Where the hell am I, what is going on, who hates me, US, that much?! What have we done to deserve such a fate and what kind of a monster is sharing my cell?

« Will you calm down already, you are making me dizzy with all of your emotions. » drawls the compelling voice of a man in the darkness.

I can't move, I can't answer, I am completely paralyzed. There is someone in here with me. Friend or foe? Considering the remark I am pretty sure we are not going to braid each other's hair. Actually, when the surprise passes a bit, I realize what the voice just said. My emotions? What about my emotions? My heart rate keeps increasing and the voice mutters again.

« Oh for fuck's sake give me a break »

A moment later a flickering light emerges in the dark. The flame of a zippo. The new light reveals half the face of a man. It's the first real image that I have been given to see since I don't know how long and, despite my terror, my eyes are desperately relieved to be able to see again.

« Where is the girl? » I try to compose myself but, regardless of my best effort, my voice is shaking.

The man lifts the zippo closer to his face and reveals two crimson eyes. I think am on the verge of a heart attack.

« Shit happens. », he replies coldly.

« Please don't hurt me » the whisper escapes my lips. Did he hurt the poor girl? I want to disappear in the wall, scream until I faint and beg for help. But it wouldn't change a thing, and I am too shocked to react.

« I am not going to lie, I would if I could. But it looks like you're quite safe from me right now. »

« Where… where is the beast? »

He raises his eyebrows interrogatively « The beast? What beast? » He seems to suddenly understand what I am talking about and a bitter smile that doesn't reach his eyes creeps up on his face. « Oh, I see. Sorry about that, I don't really take a fancy in being torn apart and chained to a wall in a room with a mouthwatering woman. Sorry if I scared you. Well I guess you had more than that to be scared of. »

« I don't understand what's going on. What's the deal with your eyes, where is the girl and what do you mean about being torn apart? » seing him so calm slowly makes me lose my temper, I don't even care what he can do to me, I just want to know what's happening here, and I hate the fact that he is so relaxed when I am not. Or is he? There is a tension in his jaw, like if he was in pain.

« Easy Ma'am. I am not to be held responsible for your presence here and I am in a delicate situation myself. » He slowly moves the flame from his face, to his left arm, or where his left arm should be.The sleeve of his shirt hangs miserably, completely empty. He pursues his motion along his chest, and stops at the top of his pants. There completely torn, he's missing both his legs. His clothes are covered in fresh blood. This time I can't hold it longer, I shriek as loud as I can.

« Please keep it together I managed to preserve both of my ears attached to my head so far, let's not tempt the fate, ok? » he almost looks jaded, as if this kind of thing happened to him all the time. Well, _I_ am certainly not used to see a legless guy with one arm.

« How… how the hell did you survived this? »

« You've never read _The Officer's ward? _Never mind. A lot of soldiers lose members during war. Not ripped by they own brother though, I'll give you that. » he seems bitter. But nothing he says makes sense nor sheds light on any of my questions.

I take a deep breath to try and calm my nerves the best I can and try a different approach. « Ok none of this is rational. I don't think I am having a nightmare because it this goes way beyond whatever my troubled brain could ever imagined. But I need to understand what is going on so let's start again. My name is Bella, I was in car crash, I think I have been kidnapped by an unidentified man. I have been locked up in this room in the dark for god knows how long. At the beginning, I heard some terrifying beasty-like groans. I think the creature was in terrible pain and it must have died at some point because the silence returned for what seemed like days. I was so terrified that I didn't move from the part of the room I am now. Twenty minutes ago, I heard a door open, and I guess you and the girl must have been thrown inside. That's when the beast rumbled again. I think it killed the girl. Then, well then, I saw your face. » I wait quietly that he speaks and hold his gaze.

« Well, I guess you didn't understand everything then. I should probably ignore you and not break the law by revealing to you things that would make our respective situations worse. But at this point, is it only possible to make things worse. I don't know the circumstances of your kidnapping, but logically I would say that it has something to do with my dear brother Edward. . I can't miss the sarcasm in his last sentence. « I was minding my own business, when my aforementioned traitor of a brother and a dozen of newborns jumped on my back. Hey, don't go there. Forget I said newborn. I am sure you're imagining me with a slew of babies clutched on my back. Think more evil-toddlers in adult bodies. »

I interrupt his rant to try to untangle the mess we have fallen into. « Why would your brother and these… wicked-giant-babies…? » he nods approvingly « …would attack you? And how on earth are you still alive and able to handle calmly a conversation? »

« Adoptive brother actually. Thank god we don't share DNA. I have no idea. I didn't even know these newborns. As for my health, I guess one could find the use of the work 'alive' slightly exaggerated. »

« What the fuck are you implying, and from which damn planet did you fall from? » I am loosing patience but he seems to be losing energy, and I am starting to wonder if his injuries aren't getting the best of him. He looks drained but somehow manages to stay composed « Please, I know it seems crazy, and that you don't understand much for now, but try to stay calm, your emotions kind of affect me. Hang on, I'm getting there. », He adds quickly before I can cut in and ask another question.

« There is no beast ok? Or you could say that _I_ am the fucking monster. I have been chained in here with you for the last 8 days. I am… different than you, to say the least. My wounds had weakened me greatly, and I needed blood, a lot of blood to keep my condition under control. You see, the constant pain I undergo is difficult to manage, it costs me a lot to keep my calm and when I arrived, the rips were fresh, I had lost all capacity. At some point I was so… _anemic_? Yeah that could work… I was so anemic that I just shut down. Plus, I could feel your fear and your pain, even if, I must say, I'm quite impressed, you didn't completely lost it despite the situation. Normally I would have been able to help you with that, but I am already struggling with my own emotions right now, I doubt I could have controlled yours. So I kept as inert as I could, to sock away my last snippets of energy. Until the door opened and Edward - my asshole of a brother - threw the girl on what's left of myself. That's when I lost it and drank her blood. Hence the eyes. And I am Jasper. By the way. »

It takes my brain a few silent seconds to register what he has just said. He. Drank. Her. Blood. That's when I pass out.

**I don't have a beta so all mistakes are mine. Plus, english is not my native language, which means my friends that if you want to follow Bella on the path I imagined for her, your eyes are probably going to suffer a little bit along the way…My sincere apologies to the language of Whitman and Keats, and to you potential readers. **


	3. Chapter 3

**What we do in the shadows**

**Disclaimer : All recognizable copyrighted and trademarked items and characters mentioned are the property of SM. Everything else belongs to the respective author.**

Chapter 3

**BPOV**

« Open your eyes, I know you're conscious. We need to plan your escape. », pleads a whispering voice.

Escape. That's the only word that counts.I am lying on the cold ground, I feel numb and I am struggling to gather my mind, but I focus on that word and whisper it every time I get air in and out of my lungs. When I feel that I am calm enough to form a coherent sentence I answer to the drawling voice.

« What happened? Did I fell asleep, how long have I been out? »

« Shh not too loud we need to be extremely cautious, no one can hear what we are saying, it's imperative. You fainted, you only missed a couple of minutes. », he answers. Relief colors his voice, which helps me to summon maximum calm.

I am still confused and my head hurts a little. I have a feeling that I should remember something important but I can't put my finger on it. Falling asleep again, lulled by this wonderful voice, remains the most appealing option right now. But the word « escape » keeps ringing in my mind, and I finally give in to the request and open my eyes. The change is not drastic, as it is pretty dark, but I catch a gleam on the outskirts of my gaze. Slowly I straighten up taking support on my hands and I sit, my back leaning against the cool wall. The flame of a lighter lights up a face on the other side of the room. I meet the eyes of the man, and everything comes back to me at once. Scarlet eyes. The poor girl. He drained her.

I see panic taking shape on the man's face, in what must be the perfect mirror of my own expression. My heart is racing, but I don't want to pass out again, so I focus on my breathing, taking deep breaths, which the man seems to realize.

« That's it, keep it up, breathe, I don't want to hurt you. I was not the most subtle in my explanation, we will resume calmly, ok? I am not going to ask you to trust me so far, I get it, that's a lot to take in and I just killed an innocent girl a few steps away from you. But as I said earlier, it's imperative that you remain as peaceful as it is possible given the circumstances, it will help the both of us. Can you at least nod if you understood what I just said? » he keeps is voice low, but I feel the efforts he makes to be as soothing as possible and, for lack of other possibility, I consent and nod my head.

« Ok, let's continue. Yes, I unfortunately murdered a poor young woman. And I accept my responsibilities. I will not turn my back on my guilt. But I will try to explain the circumstances. I'm different from you, biologically. And even though I don't normally drink human blood, platelets and blood cells are as vital to me as vegetables and protein are necessary for your survival. I am still in a very bad shape, but it's nothing compared to the state in which I was when I have been locked up and chained in this room. I had no more control, no conscious thought, I went into survival mode. So, when this body was thrown to me, I acted without even thinking. Which, I guess, was my brother's intended effect. It was the only way for me to stabilize my condition. Which is not a reason in itself, I grant you that. Nothing should justifie that my survival is more worth it than any other being's life. Nothing if not instinct. »

He stops for a brief moment in order to make sure I am still following him, before carrying on the same even tone.

« There are a few other things you need to know about me. Outside of my particular diet, I have a special... ability. It can be very handy at time, but it requires energy and balance to be used properly. I can feel and , to a certain extant, influence the emotions of others. Basically I am an empath. If you're familiar with supernatural literature that your kind seems to be so found of, you should understand quickly. We don't really have the time to discuss that at length, but keep that in mind, it will be the heart of the plan I came up with to get us out of here. At least you, to begin with. Now, I am also known to be a skilled strategist. I am a soldier, that's just what I do. No matter how hard I am hurting right now, it doesn't cloud my analytical skills, and I had enough time to asses this situation. I would like to give you my full report. I'll spare you the differences between strategy and tactics, between defining and achieving goals. What you need to know is that all this will serve the following purposes : one, to free each other from this place. Two, to eliminate for good any form of external threat involved in this scheme. Last but not least, to regain autonomy towards one another. All without getting our asses handed to us. As long as these objectives are not reached, the circumstances which has brought us together leave us with no choice : we must form an alliance. I do not have the why and how we have both been driven here. But I have reason to believe that we pose a threat to the people who locked us up here. Members of my so-called _f__amily_ are visibly involved. Which limits my possibilities in terms of alliance. On your side, you are offered even fewer possibilities. If you talk about my species to yours, my government will eliminate you for violating one of our ultimate law. And whatever happens, if you speak, no one will believe you and you will be sent to a pretty little asylum, where you will be a seated duck, waiting for a violent death in a as far as I'm concerned, from now on, my survival depends on yours, and yours on mine. Objections, questions? »

It's a lot to take in. But I am experimenting a rush of adrenaline that only the most desperate of circumstances can summon. I do understand the urgency of every decisions I am going to make from now on. I am not even tempted to be suspicious about all I have heard so far. I feel an odd form of trust for the injured murderer in front of me. I must have fallen into a parallel dimension to be ready to consent without much more thought to his analysis. I don't even want to rebel against his bossy tone. Everything seemed so desperate a few minutes ago, that I find comfort in the idea that at least one of us has an idea of the best way to proceed, even if, in other circumstances, he would probably be my most natural enemy. Yes, definitely a parallel dimension. Or maybe I just know how to make the distinction between mansplaining and wisely gained experience. `

« I hope I won't regret this, as I am pretty sure this goes against the concept of food chain. But I'm in. I wan't out. And I believe you when you say you're my only chance. » I am determined to keep cool and show him my confidence, so I focus on keeping my eyes on him.

« Good. Now from strategy, let's move to tactics. And that's where the shoe pinches. I need some of your blood », he says very calmly, as if it was completely logical.

« You're fucking kidding me? I can't believe I almost fell fo your speech, you s… »

« ENOUGH », he shouts. There is so much strength and command in his voice that it silences me instantly. He seizes the opportunity to resume his whispering in a more even tone.

« Not. So. Loud. And this is not what you think. Everything is not what it seems. I might be a _monster_ but I am not the immediate _danger_ to you. You only see the shadow of what's going on, but let me throw some light on a few points and you'll see a different picture. »

« Oh, so you're going full Plato's Cave on me now? Are you going to use your zippo to save me from ignorance? »I reply. I can't help myself to be sarcastic, this situation is so absurd.

I see the corner of his lips twitch a little bit, but I can't tell if it's a nugget of a smile or just a reaction from the pain he endures at the moment. « I don't want to drain you, that would defeat the purpose. As I said before, our survival is interdependent. You might think that I don't show compassion, and that I ask a lot from you. I know I do. Just let me finish. Then, if you really want, you can insult me as much as necessary while we patiently wait to be tortured or executed. An hour ago, there's been a lot of noise coming from upstairs. People like me have highly developed senses. I can hear , smell and see from distances you can't even dream of. Apparently my dear brother had trouble with his squad. I used to train a lot of newborns. In another life. They seem extremely unpredictable to someone who is not used to deal with them, when really, it's like any basic training. It comes down to a succession of order and retribution. My brother, relies to much on his own _ability_. He probably forgot to follow that strict pattern and got overwhelmed. The newborns must have started to fight against one another, a majority probably got killed, and I think he had to terminate some of them himself as he could not make them calm down. Which gives us a window of action. He left at some point, to build a new team I guess, and there is only one person left to stand guard. »

He pours on me all of these informations quickly, and I do my best not to miss anything. I am still heated by his remark earlier about my blood, but I know that it is essential that I gather as much intel as I can to ensure my survival. I have never felt such an instinctive feeling before. Prior to those few moments on the wet Forks' road, I had never been afraid for my life. And maybe I have never appreciated the chance of being alive. Today, locked up with this man, this creature that I cannot even name, I know that every single element of our discussion has the power to condition the rest of my existence. Will determine its continuation or its end. And even if I have trouble admitting it to myself, even if I'm terrified, I think I have never felt such excitement. I can almost feel the energy of life running through my veins. I feel alive, and a part of me welcomes this adrenaline. There is something impressive in his manner of rigorously stating the results of his analyzes, of hearing him meticulously plan the course of events. And I find myself looking at him differently. I don't know _what_ he is, but I see in those glowing eyes his determination to fight for his life. Even amputated from his legs and an arm. He certainly commands respect. I no longer see the enemy, I see the soldier. If my life depends on this tenacious being, then maybe everything is not lost yet.

I don't know what he reads from my emotion or from my expression, but he smiles softly.

« Bella, I just need a little extra strength in order to use my gift. Just enough to send a good dose of lethargy to the guy standing upstairs so you can run away and call for help. They didn't even bother to lock the room. And why bother, really. How could I escape my chains or this place without the rest of my limbs? And no offense, but they know you wouldn't stand a chance if you had to face one of them. »

« None taken », I breath.

« Don't think of this in terms of prey and predator. Try to see it as symbiosis. I only need you to make a cut on your wrist and let the blood flow to my mouth. We would need to be quick as the sentinel above will smell it even from where he stands. I will take just what I need in order to work, but not enough to weaken you. »

This time I dare to interrupt him but respecting the noise level he imposed. If I am even thinking of doing that, I must be sure it's possible.

« If I agree, how the hell am I going to find help? How can I leave this place quickly enough, I don't even know where we are. »

But of course, he is already one step ahead of me. « I smell some gasoline north of the house, near the guy's observation post. Chances are you will find a vehicle. If the keys are not on the ignition, you will have to search the neutralized man's pockets. According to my estimation, we are between Olympia and Grand Mound, not very far from the interstate, you will see the direction to follow thanks to the marks left by the tires of the cars, I saw it when they brought me here. If necessary, you will run and you will stop a car on the road. Now listen to me carefully. Regardless of how you get to the road, DO NOT return to Forks. As soon as my brother Edward realizes your absence, he will chase you. Drive without looking back towards south, then west. Towards Texas. Help will likely come to you before you get there. He probably already knows what's going on. » He murmurs the last sentence so low that I think he thought out loud more than anything else.

« Who is _he_? », I ask.

He focuses back on me and responds : « My brother »

« Your brother? I don't understand, if the guy is crazy and chasing me why on earth would… »

But he cuts me off : « Not Edward. My brother, the only one that really matters. Peter. Peter Whitlock. He will help you, and he will help me. » he seems so sure of this that I wan't to believe him.

« This brother of yours, is he… like you? », I ask, suddenly wary.

« Yes. But I trust him with my life. And if I send you with a clear enough message, so can you. »

« How would he already know? And how will I find him? »

« _He_ will find _you_. It's his gift, he just knows things. He probably already knows that I am in trouble and that he needs to help us in order to save me. But to be sure I will give you something to show him to make sure he recognizes you as someone sent by me. Now, I am going to give you a couple minutes, not more, to decide what you want to do. Follow my lead - even if it means stepping into the unknown and relying on a stranger of an unknown nature - or facing the music here with me. »

I close my eyes, and I try to evaluate my options. The situation is already shaky. But what good could come up in staying here waiting for death? To self-pity I always preferred action, even if it seems reckless or if it reveals itself to be pointless. There is relief in giving it a whirl, right? Nothing is completely desperate unless you've tried everything.

This few seconds of silence give me the time to gather my strength, and when I open my eyes, I know. « Tell me what to do », I tell him, with as much strength as I can.

He lets out a sigh of relief. « Good. Get up and walk straight toward me. Don't deviate from a straight line, I don't want you to bump into… I mean, the girl's body… » he trails off. And I am almost sure I just saw guilt in his eyes.

I do as he says, and I get up for the first time since I have been taken to this place. I take a few hesitant steps and he encourages me : « Good, carry on. You have to come a little closer and crouch down in front of me. » I comply, and our eyes are now at the same level. Despite the intensity of the moment, I can't help but realize that the little light projected by the flame did not do him justice. He is the most gorgeous man I have ever seen. He is very pale, even more than I am, and my skin is considered very fair. But he is not dull. There is nothing dull in him. His face is emaciated, but his features don't lack finesse and are harmonious. His honey blond hair fell on his forehead and graciously frame his face. His eyes are amazingly intense and his mouth ... But this is clearly not a time for contemplation..

His gaze unwavering, he walks me through the rest. « In my shirt pocket, there is a knife. You have to take it. »

I gently approach my fingers from his chest and when I finally slip them in the opening of his pocket, I am struck by the cold that emanates from his body. I retrieve the small blade and I look at him again.

« Now you're going to tear the bottom of my shirt, so you can bandage your wound afterwards. Then you will have to incise your arm and press along the wound to make the blood flow over my mouth. Try to make the slowest gestures possible, I will try to control the frenzy that sometimes accompanies this kind of experience. When I close my mouth step back to be out of reach. »

I swallow hard but I nod and continue to follow his instructions. The tear in his shirt reveals a body as perfect as the face. But it's time. I bring the knife to my arm. Here goes nothing…

The blade hurts when it bites my flesh but I grind my teeth. I see his head thrown back below my arm, his eyes are closed. When the blood begins to flow into his mouth, his eyes suddenly open wide. But, unlike what I had imagined, it is not hunger that I read in them, but a mixture of surprise, awe and reverence. He doesn't make a move, and after a few minutes he licks his lips slowly and closes his mouth. As weirdly as this situation is, I can't help but find it extremely sensual. As planned, I move back.

« Holly fuck… » he whispers « How can it be… after all this time… is that why he brought us both here? But how could he know? »

I am relieved that it went well and that I am still alive even if someone just DRANKmy blood, but I don't understand what is he talking about. « Who? Edward? How can he know what? » I ask while I band my arm with his shirt.

« Nothing… nothing we should discuss right now » he replies, staring at me with yet the same weird mixed expression in his eyes. « We need to act, at once. But promise me, swear to me you will be careful and you will stay alive. You have to. Swear to me. » he's, pleading now and something definitely feels different than a few minutes before.

« I swear… Jasper? It's Jasper right? », I reply.

« Yes », he smiles softly. « Now take my lighter. You will give it to Peter on behalf of the Major. He will understand. I just sent a huge dose of lethargy to the guy upstairs, you're good to go but we have to hurry, I don't know how long I can hold it ».

I take the lighted lighter from his hands, and I feel the most pleasant jolt of energy when our fingers touch for the first time. I have never felt this before. I see him smile weakly again but he presses me.

« You have to go now, Bella » my name rolls on his tongue, and it takes me all my will to get up.

He shows me the direction to follow with his arm and I am about to follow it but our eyes meet one last time.

« I will send help, Jasper, It's a promise. Just as you promised me not to harm me earlier, I swear I won't let you rot in here. »

« Thank you Bella. »

I turn and I walk towards the door that I begin to distinguish in the dark. It's unlock, as he said it would be. I get out and when it's about to close, I'm almost sure I heard him whispered to himself :

« Come back to me. »

**Thank you for those who put my story on alert or favorite. ****I can't express how grateful I am, i****t really means the world to me. This is my first fanfiction, and it's quite a challenge for me to write in english. This is as much as a hobby as a training exercise. I know there will be mistakes, but I am not ashamed of it. This is how we learn right?**

**Special thanks to **_**bludaze. **_**I saw your message just before attending a very stressful meeting and it helped me to calm down. It's just incredible what a few words of encouragement can do. **


	4. Chapter 4

**What we do in the shadows**

AN : Merry belated Christmas! I wanted to update on Christmas Day but I got slightly distracted. Now that Christmas madness has passed a little, here is an update!

**Disclaimer : All recognizable copyrighted and trademarked items and characters mentioned are the property of SM. Everything else belongs to the respective author. **

**Also, if I'm not wrong, **_**IdreamofEddy**_** came up with the brilliant idea of Peter's gift. **

Chapter 4

**BPOV**

Instinct can make fucking miracles. I have never climbed stairs that quickly and found my way out of a foreign house that easily. Maybe sense of direction comes with near death experience. Who knows.

There is a man lying on the floor across the front door. If I weren't running for my life, I would be very impressed with Jasper's talents. I step over the body without taking a look at the man and I leave the building. Apparently, my place of captivity is a house in the middle of a wood. As Jasper predicted, there is a car parked outside the house. I walk cautiously towards the vehicle, glancing around me and turning around several times to make sure I'm not being followed. When there are only a few steps left between me and the car, I sprint. Please, please, be open ... Bingo. The car is not only unlocked, but the keys are already on the ignition. I take one last look at the house, and my heart sinks a little at the idea of the man I lam leaving behind. And what about my Dad? I can't leave Charlie alone either… what does he think happened to me? As awful as it seems, it would be better if he thought that I abandoned him. Even if it must be painful, I don't want him to worry about me, he must focus on his health. I just hope some go his friends from the Quileute's reservation visit him. I can't take the risk of contacting him right know, I don't want to bring my own persecutors on him. Jasper's words echoes in my head. _Our survival is interdependent_. It is enough for me to get my ideas in place. Run away. Find help. Save him. Peter Whitlock, wherever you are, I am coming. I start the car and follow the trail left by the tire tracks in the ground.

It only takes a few minutes to reach the interstate and find indication. I take south towards Chehalis then Portland. I thought my mind would simmers down when outside of Washington state, but my body decides otherwise. A stabbing pain grows in my chest kilometer after kilometer. I imagine that even if my brain tries to suppress the information that I am probably already chased by I don't know _who_ or _what_, my heart won't let me forget it. And I can't help but think constantly of Jasper being locked up alone in the dark room. I am obsessed with his faint smiles during the last moments we spent together. What if he doesn't survive long enough for me to find help? I am well aware despite the little information gathered about him, that his body is more resilient than mine. A _normal _human being wouldn't survive his type of injuries. I don't think he can bleed, and the marks on his clothes must have come from the victim's veins and arteries rather than from his own body. But I can't help but worry about him. Whenever I try to focus on the forces that threaten me, his face imposes itself on my mind. The thought of him even supplants my consuming thirst. I hope his brother Edward will not relieve his rage on him when he finds out about my escape. I am long passed the « the world is not the place you thought you knew » phase. There is no time for this, and I am way too stressed and parched to process this.

I drive for hours, not taking any breaks except a brief stop at a gas station to fill the tank of the car. I have absolutely nothing on me, but I have found a few dollars in the glove box. I have used most of it for gas and I will have to improvise from now on. I cross Oregon, and less than 7 hours after leaving my cell, I arrive in the State of Idaho. I was lucky not to be pulled of so far. My heart sinks at this thought. My poor father, Chief of police, would have a heart attack if he saw me driving like that…

I plan to descend to Utah and reach Texas via New Mexico, but, despite the low consumption of the car and the fuel I added, I am running very low when I arrive near Boise.

The clock of the car indicates 4 am and I stop on a highway rest area in the outskirts of the city. I must find a solution, I will not be able to continue like this for long, I am running on fumes. I rest my head on my hands still hanging on the wheel. My body is stiff and I'm exhausted but I can't afford a real break.

Think, think, think Bella… Now what?

There is a seedy diner opened 24/24 on the side of the road, and after having unfolded my hands finger after finger from the steering wheel, I get out of the car, and I approach the dismal restaurant. I am always wary of what can be hidden in the shadows, and the few uncovered steps are torture for my poor nerves.

I enter the establishment and a few heads turn to me. I must be frightful-looking, I am probably dirty and my hair is loose, I have no idea when was the last time I saw a comb or a shower.

I duck my head in my shoulders and make my way to an isolate empty booth near the restroom and away from the looks of the few curious customers. A middle aged waitress approaches me, smiling warmly at me.

« Hello sugar, How are you? I am really sorry but I am bonded to ask you if you've got any money to pay before taking your order… I will be glad to get you some coffee on the house. You seem like you could need a little pick me up, but that's all I can offer… The manager is out but he will be back soon and I don't want to loose my job, I've got kids you know… ». She looks so sorry but she keeps smiling reassuringly at me. She must think I am homeless and I start to wonder how bad I can look.

« Oh no, that's very nice of you but I intend on paying, I swear. I just want some coffee and the biggest glass of water you could get me, please ». My voice is hoarse and I really feel like shit, but I smile faintly at her and put out the rest of the money that I found in the car to ease her mind.

« No problem darling, I will get you that right away, you just relax here in the meantime ok? ».

She is really sweet and looks genuinely concerned and I feel bad for inspiring her that.

« Thank you very much, I might go freshen up a little bit ».

« Of course sugar the restroom is right over there. »

She turns her back an walk back to the counter while I slip to he restroom. The sight of my reflection in the mirror is distressing and I understand better her reaction. My mahogany hair is a mass of tangled locks, my face is dirty and my clothes are dusty. I hadn't even noticed until now how my hands are absolutely repulsive, and I still have my makeshift bandage on my arm.

The door opens behind me and I see the waitress entering the restroom in the mirror reflection.

« I do not want to impose beautiful, but I thought you might need this. » she says handing me a towel, a plastic comb and a small paper bag.

I barely have time to whisper a thank you, which doesn't express how grateful I am, that she is already out. I start to wash roughly my dirty face and neck to make myself a little bit more presentable. I scrub my hands as hard as I can, and untangle my hair. Luckily, I have a rubber band around my wrist and I manage to arrange my hair in a ponytail. It's not ideal but I already look less crazy. I open the bag and realize that the waitress has slipped a small roll, a bottle of water and a t-shirt from the diner staff. I am taken aback by so much kindness and, in order to make sure that this does not turn against her, I decide to wait to be in the car to eat and changed.

Coming out of the restroom, I smile again with a little more confidence to my savior. In my place I find a steaming cup of coffee and a pint of water. I throw myself on the latter and drink it greedily.

Hell that was needed! I feel like a shriveled and dehydrated piece of fruit that would have been plunged into a bowl of water.

The smoke coming out of the cup of coffee is too tempting to be ignored any longer and I tackle the drink, thinking about how to get out of my current situation. At least money wise.

I am disturbed in my thoughts by an imperious voice which rises from the counter, near an antique jukebox.

« Is that even possible to be so slow! How long does it take to cook a fucking burger? There are people with real responsibilities in life you know, with a schedule and appointments. When you order something so simple, the least you expect is to be served quickly! I knew it was a mistake to stop in a redneck dinner. This kind of things would never happened in a big city, it is clearly the behavior of lazy people who plague society. »

This horrible speech comes from a middle-aged man, in a shiny suit sitting at the bar and looking at the waitress with a contemptuous air. She looks so shocked that she doesn't even try to defend herself and runs off to the kitchen, muttering an excuse.

I'm mad with rage, and my exhausted brain is looking for a way to defend or avenge her when, suddenly, I catch sight of a wallet sticking out of the pocket of the Burberry trench coat lying on the stool next to the man. I can't suppress the start of a sly smile. Maybe I can kill two birds with one stone. I finish my coffee and leave my change on the table, keeping only one coin. that will cover the coffee and the tip. I walk slowly to the jukebox casually along the counter. The stress and traumatic experience of the last days completely uninhibited me and it is without any remorse or hesitation that I skillfully steal the wallet of the rude character.

After paying and choosing my song, I head for the exit of the restaurant, sending my most radiant smile to the waitress that has return with the asshole's burger. Brenda Lee's voice accompanies me to the door, and I whisper with her « I'm sorry, so sorry, please accept my apology… ».

I am back on the road, with a full gas tank, courtesy of the pretentious shithead. I do not usually endorse theft, but abnormal situation requires abnormal actions. Besides, I only got the change from the wallet straight out and left the rest almost in front of the entrance to the restaurant with his cards and ID papers.

The road continues to pass before my eyes, and I am really starting to get tired. The bun and coffee weren't enough to replenish my energy supply, and I think a full week of sleep wouldn't be enough to get me back on my feet. But I have to go on, in order to survive, see my father again, and save Jasper. Jasper. I keep replaying the scene in my head, his head arching back, my blood flowing to his parted lips, his hypnotic eyes widening…

I am brought back to reality by the sound a shrill horn, I swerve to stabilize the car that has drifted between two lanes, and I am quickly overtaken by the truck responsible of the noise. I definitely need to sleep.

It's been twelve hours since my stop at the dinner in Idaho and I am approaching Thoreau, New Mexico. I see through the window the sparse vegetation made of short grasses, sagebrush and tumbleweeds. The sun dazzles me on this June afternoon, even with the sunshade panel unfolded.

But what I find odd is that peculiar sparkle, far off on the road.

It grows as my car is moving forward, but I cannot immediately see what it is. I am more and more blinded and I find myself braking suddenly in extremis when I realize that a car is stopped across the road. The tires screech on the ground, and the car stops less than a meter from the source of light.

I discover an extraordinary vision. A gigantic man looks at me through my windshield. But it's not his size that impresses me. No. The man literally SPARKLES, as if his skin had the consistency of a roughly cut diamond. His face is closed but he doesn't seem hostile, just on his guard.

I gaze at him with fascination, albeit terrified. Whatever he is, I am pretty sure he is like Jasper. I lower my window with trembling hands, and he leans towards me.

« Who sent you? », he says in a harsh voice

I swallow with difficulty and answer the only thing that I can.

« The Major »

He holds out his hand to me and I'm surprised. He wants me to shake his hand? But then a thought crosses my mind and I realize what he expects from me. I take the zippo out of my pocket, and place it in his hand. He looks at it for a quarter of a second and his face relaxes.

« Hello little Lady, my name is Captain Peter Withlock ».

**Thank you to all those who bookmarked this story and for the comments, they ****truly ****warm my heart!****It's a bit of a transition chapter, and it's short, I hope you won't be too disappointed. But Peter has arrived which promises some action for the future.**** I will try to update very soon! ****A special thought for those who spent Christmas alone or far from their ****loved ones****, for those who are sick or just at a difficult time in their lives. This chapter is for you.**

**Again, ****I don't have a beta so all mistakes are mine. Plus, english is not my native language, which means my friends that if you want to follow Bella on the path I imagined for her, your eyes are probably going to suffer a little bit along the way…My sincere apologies to the language of Whitman and Keats, and to you potential readers. **


	5. Chapter 5

**What we do in the shadows**

AN : I could apologize for not updating sooner. But i'll do better : at the end of the chapter I'll recommend my favorite fanfic right now, skillfully written AND updated regularly (lifegoal?). Much better than an apology right? For those of you living across the pond, this is my little election week gift to you. Special thanks to jeoliverio, LunaM303, JynxxD, Evie96, Msmalloryreads, UnderlinedSmile, Kyra, bludaze, sicefield, pryss, .7334, for your reviews. You guys rock! Also, JynxxD , very relevant question, my Jasper is more in his late twenties.

**Disclaimer : All recognizable copyrighted and trademarked items and characters mentioned are the property of SM. Everything else belongs to the respective author. **

**Also, if I'm not wrong, **_**IdreamofEddy**_** came up with the brilliant idea of Peter's gift.**

Chapter 5

**BPOV**

Usually I just love driving in silence. Even if I am just the passenger. Enjoying the scenery, listening to music, letting my thoughts wonder… it can be so peaceful, a stolen moment, on the move. Renée used to ruin that for me. She's an endless chatter, and it used to drive me crazy

She imposed her babbles on me without even caring if I might have something to add to the conversation.

But all of this seems very far away now. Mom is probably happy in a very easy life with her husband, enjoying the Arizona sun, young enough to be filled up with her legendary energy, and old enough to drop the pretense of supervising her daughter.

This is probably a good thing since the aforementioned girl, yours truly, is currently sitting next to a frankly weird guy, who, after indicating me in an imperious gesture the passenger seat, did not address me a single was two hours ago.

I voluntarily got into a car with a bossy stranger less than 72 hours after escaping my cell. Great. Well done Bella. Good sense of self-preservation.

Eyes fixed on the road, pursed lips, tensed and focused, the man who introduced himself to me as Peter is almost oblivious to my presence.

A little voice inside my head keeps reminding me that he is a friend of Jasper and, as crazy as it seems, I can't help myself but trust my wounded jail companion. I hope he is fine. Alive at least.

I still feel that weird pain in my chest all the time, but with all that happened to me, plus the lack of sleep and food, it must be normal.

Everything is jostling in my head and in my body and I can no longer bear this silence. all these questions that remain unanswered.

In a few hours I came across _something_ that questioned all I thought I knew about the world I live in. My life as taken an unpredictable turn and I know things will never be the same again.

But what will happen now? I worry about my father, about Jasper, about where the hell we are going right now.

And what was bound to happen, happens.

I explode.

« Oh for fuck's sake, are you finally going to talk to me?! » I shout at Peter's face

He turns his head toward me in a flash, his glowing red eyes widen in sincere questioning before turning pitch black.

« Calm damn woman, what the hell did I do wrong? No need to shout your head off, I happen to have quite spectacular hearing and it's a small space we're sitting in. »

His even tone is counterbalanced by the murderous look he gives me.

Far from scaring him, I pissed him off.

Survival instinct would like me to lower my tone and avoid annoying a scary stranger who could, at best, abandon me on the side of the road and, at worst ... let just say the second scenario includes a shovel, a hole in the woods, and some enthusiastic digging.

But my survival instinct has obviously taken a little holiday in a dark cave with another equally scary and alluring individual, and I fail at keeping my shit together. I find myself in no time screaming again my frustration at the face of the only person likely to hear it.

« Don't I deserve some semblance of explanation? Did you plan driving to the North Pole without talking to me? I did try to remain calm as long as I could, I did _everything_ Jasper asked me to. I ran, I abandoned my sick father, I STOLE a car, a pretentious asshole's wallet, and I did not turn around once, nor did I question his indications. I followed the instructions of a guy who ATE A GIRL just a few feet from me. Do you fucking hear me? HE ATE A GIRL »

I am panting in frustration, overwhelmed by the whirlwind of my emotions. Peter brakes abruptly and I am thrown forward only restrained by my seat belt which snaps sharply. My breath is cut, but at least I got a reaction out of him.

« Are you done now? I need to make a few calls and plan our next actions. Stay here, keep quiet and meditate on the meaning of life», he mutters looking pissed.

He lins towards me menacingly. As much as I hate showing people my fear I can't help but shrink in my seat. His sharp gaze petrifies me and I stay curled up in my corner.

« Just so we're clear », he drawls, « I'm not used to get yelled at by my food source. I don't even _talk_ to my juicy little blood bags. Got it? I am already making efforts here. I don't know why Jasper sent you, I just know the situation is critical and I need you on hand to fix it. Why? I don't fucking know yet. But I will find out. So just stay there, shut it, and let me do the work. ». He keeps looking at me, determined to make his point, and boy, if he didn't made it.

A jackass. And a psychopath. _Food source? _Is it a figure of speech, an attempt at terrifying me even more or does it have something to do with what Jasper told me in the basement?

_Think, stay alive_.

Fiddling with the radio buttons he selects a station while mumbling disdainfully.

« There, music to calm your nerves. It should keep you occupied for a while. Like an anthropologist friend of mine used to say, your species is easily distracted. Like perpetual useless newborns. It ruined your kind before and it will happen again and again. »

The cynical apostle gets out of the car. His shoes crunch on the gravel, the door slams and I am left alone again. The _prelude_ of Wagner's Trisan and Iseult fills the car and colors the air with an end of the world kind of atmosphere. A sense of fatality slowly creeps under my skin.

The light outside is too harsh, the landscape too sun-kissed.

The man who has now walked around the car to sit on its hood is too beautiful, too surreal.

He even shines in the harsh midday light, with the same intensity as a few hours before when he stopped me in the middle of the road. There is not a car passing here. It could almost look like a scene from an alternative horror movie, which, in an attempt at some originality, would have placed its action in broad daylight, under the scorching Texas sun.

But this is not a movie. This is all too real. And I still need answers.

I need to be smart about it, if I push him it won't get me anywhere. If he want's to make jokes on anthropology, let's humor him and try a little gift/counter-gift dynamic.

I'll share a nugget of intel and we 'll see what he has to offer.

I watch Peter through the windshield. He makes phone call after phone call, always serious and imperious. Never lingering and with no trace left of emotion on his face. He knows what to do and he's clearly in his element. An attitude that I can't help but assimilate to that of Jasper plotting my escape. these two are used to leading operations and for things to go their way. As much as a part of me is exasperated by these control freaks and order givers, I know I'm going to have to deal with it to get myself out of this situation. And at a time when I have no power over anything, I might as well be in the good graces of the big guy.

When he joins me in the car, I am calm. Decided. There will be no tear, no lament. But I will stand my ground.

Gathering all my courage I turn off the radio and angle my body to him.

« Can I ask you something? »

« If you must ». He doesn't even bother looking at me and starts the car.

« I just need an overview. Can we talk about the events that lead us here? »

He doesn't answer right away. While driving away, He seems to be thinking about the best course of action. That same calculating look I caught on Jasper's face, the look of someone who must always be one step ahead. Finally he just nods.

« My name is Bella. » No reaction. I rub my hand on my heart as if to calm the pain in my chest or to give me courage. I see him following the movement of my hand out of the corner of his eye. It only lasted half a second, but I think I saw confusion on his face. I just carry on.

« More or less 72 hours ago, my car collided with something just outside the town of Forks, Washington. The last thing I remember is a tuft of bronze hair and the darkest eyes I've ever seen. After that : blank. Until I woke up in a basement with what I first thought was a ferocious beast. Turned out that said beast was in fact Jasper, injured in such a way that modern medicine cannot explain that he had not already died. »

I check Peter's face. At first glance he might seems impassive. But something tells me that for the first time I managed to capture his full attention.

« I hardly saw anything. Part of what happened there I only know from what Jasper told me. To make it short : He was weak, and someone obviously threw a young woman in our cell and ... and Jasper tells me he drank his blood. It gave him enough strength to asses the situation and talk to me. That's when he offered me some kind of alliance, a plan to escape from this place. »

« Carry on. » His hands tighten on the steering wheel, but he continues to stare at the road.

« The plan was to get me out of there to find help. To go get you. He told me you would know, that I just had to drive south. But in order for the plan to succeed, he had to neutralize the one person standing in our way. He needed to use what he called his ability. »

He nods again.

« But he was too weak for that. He needed something. »

« Blood »

« Yes. Just a little more, in order to disable the guy who stood guard long enough for me to drive away. So I gave him some. »

Peter grabs my bandaged arm with one hand and quickly inspects the cut on my arm. then he gently rests it on my lap.

« You did a strange bargain down there in the shadows. »

« I did what I had to do to survive. For us to survive. » I can't help the challenge in my voice. I will never regret what I did as incredible as it sounds, even now in the middle of nowhere, with this stranger, I am convinced that I made the right choice, that I placed my trust where it was suppose to be. Jasper. I can't forget his eyes as he drank my blood, drop by drop. It's branded on my retina. But instead of chilling me, this image fills me with a fire and a strength that I am unable to explain to myself.

« Did my brother appear to have identified your captors? »

Not so fast. « That 's not how it works. I gave you something. Now you tell me where we're going».

« Further south. Did Jasper say something? »

« I need more than that. »

He sighs and closes his eyes for a second. « We go back to the headquarter. The following actions must be carefully planned and numbers will be needed. » Something tells me that's all I'll get from him for now. And I need him to trust me.

« Jasper said something about Edward. And newborns. »

I hear a crack and turn my head just in time to see Peter reduce to ashes with the sheer force of his hand what must have been the wiper control.

« The little prick. I knew it. I will rip his fucking head off. »

He presses the accelerator as if to calm his frustration and we fall back into silence.

I try to immerse myself again in the contemplation of the landscape but hundreds of thoughts jostle in my head.

« You did well, you know. »

His comment surprises me and leaves me speechless for a moment. There is no way I'll show him that his approval does anything to me, he was far too abrupt to have the right to suddenly hand out medals.

« What will happen to Jasper if we keep heading south? Shouldn't we go back for him? Aren't they going to kill him? »

« Brave but inconsiderate. And you don't have to worry, they won't kill him, he is way too valuable. He will suffer though, that's guaranteed. But he knew it was a risk, he is committed to the cause and, believe me, he has survived worse. » There is awe when he talks about his brother and his words reflect unwavering loyalty. He rises very slightly in my esteem and I find myself trusting his judgment. After all, there isn't much more I can do at the moment.

The pain in my chest is still nagging at me. I press my hands on my heart as if to contain its tremors. Peter looks at me for a long time, studying me like if he was trying to find something in my eyes. He keeps looking back at my hand on my chess and I am about to wonder if I should remove him from the sociopath category in favor of the good-old-perv one, when he finally asks in a murmur :

« Chess pain? For how long? » He almost looks worried and I see a flash of something soft for the first time pass over his face.

« I'm note sure, probably since the escape, I guess It's a physical reaction to all that stress. Why would you care? »

The worry gives way to a kind of jubilation that makes his eyes shine. His body relaxes for the first time since we met and a thin smirk appears on his lips. Avoiding my question he just scoffs :

« So you stole a wallet ? »

**My reading recommendation: Bludaze's Paranoia, and its ongoing sequel, Monomania. I don't even know what to say. ****Well actually i****n French you could say ****« ça défonce tout ». ****I think the literal translation would be**** :****« ****it smashes everything ****»****. I don't know if it i****s something you would say**** in english ****to ****qualify something ****amazing**** but it definitely ****smashed ****my chances ****of ever doing better,**** and I love it****. Great job, just read it.**

**Again, I don****'****t have a beta so all mistakes are mine. Plus, english is not my native language, ****m****y sincere apologies to the language of ****Orwell**** and ****Faulkner****, and to you potential readers. **


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